Signaling device for motor-vehicles.



I. A. THOMPSON. SIGNALING DEVICE FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 8. 19I3.

Patented May 11, 1915.

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. Inventor JOHN A. THOMPSON, OF BOSEBANK, NEW YORK.

SIGNALING DEVICE FOR MOTOR-VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Familial r Application filed January 8, 1913. Serial No. 740,877.

provision of a horizontally disposed cylindrical casing adapted to be connected to the rear of a motor vehicle to receive the lens support "of a tail. lamp, so that the rays of the light from the tail lamp will be projected into the cylinder and illuminate a rotatably mounted cylinder either of translucent or transparent material and carrying the various signal signs which are adapted to be projected one at a time through an observation aperture in the outer or stationary cylinder, the inner cylinder being returned to normal position by a spring, while a manually controlled mechanism is provided for operating to select the inner cylinder to expose to view the desired signal.

Vl/ith the foregoing and other objects in iew which will appear as the description proceeds the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it'being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed can be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawings-Figure 1 is a view in elevation showing the present device attached to the tail lamp. Fig. 2 is a view taken on line 44 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an enlarged. detail sectional 'view illustrating that portion ofthe casing adjacent the lamp,

showing the means whereby the rim of the lens oi the lamp is engaged and clamped to the casing. i

Reierr ng to drawings, the stationary cylinder-or casing 1s adapted to be attached to the rear of the automobile, and said casing is made in two sections and clamped together through the medium oi the lugs 3 and bolts 8 at the frpnt thereof, as clearly illustrated 111 F1g.. 1. A frame or flanged portion d-is provided around the slght slot or aperture of thecasing and retains the-oh servation glass 5 in proper relative position at all times.

One end or the casing'2, is provided with an apertured disk" 6, carryin the rubber gasket 7 and the lamp engaging annulus, ring or flange 8 which fits upon and embraces the rim of the lens carrying portion 9 of the tail lamp 10. .By this means the rays of light from the lamp are projected into and through one end of the cylindrical casing 2. o

Disposed i xedly within the cylindrical casing 2 adjacent the respective ends thereof, are the retaining and bearing rings 11 and 12, which constitute a supporting means to retain the concentric sign carrying cylinder 13 in proper relation within the casing 2 and also so that said sign carrying cylinder 13 may be properly rotated to place due of its respective signs at a time in observation position or ad acent to the observation aperture of the casing 2, so that the rays of light will be projected through the transparent or.

translucent cylinder 13 to display the sign in view through the transparent plate 5 of the casing 2.

The disk 14, secured in the end or" the cylinder 13 remote from the end adjacent the tail lamp. 10, has connected concentrically thereto, the head 15 of the journaling and operating stud or shaft 16, which as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is projected concentrically through the opposed end 17 of the casing 2 and through the motor or spring casing 18. Disposed within the casing 18 is the spring 19, which is connected to the shaft 16 and to the casing so as to exert a normal tension to retain, as for instance, at the word Stop, indicating that the automobile is at a standstill.

Keyed upon the outer end of the shaft 16,

is," a pulley 20, which has secured to its grooved perlphery at 21, the operating tape or band 22, which is'to be operated in any desirable or practical manner. What is claimed is: A vehicle signal device including a cyl.in drical casing having an observation aperture and a light ray directing aperture formed in the wall thereof, a rotatable sign carrier carried within the casing and operable through one end 01 the casing, a lamp engaging member carried at the other end of the casing and comprising an apertured disk, a gasket fitting upon the outer face thereof and about the aperture and an annulus secured to the disk to cooperate with the disk and the gasket to form a clamp at one end of the casing.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

JOHN A. THOMPSON.

Witnesses:

JOHN TIMLIN, Jr., H. E. BISSEL. 

